New York.- Joey Chestnut, a true celebrity in the U.S. competitive eating circuit, devoured 66 hot dogs in 10 minutes this Saturday at a traditional competition held every July 4th in New York, although he regretted not setting a record due to the heat.
Chestnut, 42, revalidated his title as champion in the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island, the New York beach, where he has now triumphed 18 times out of the 21 he has participated, but fell short of his record of 76 units achieved in 2021, according to local media.
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The man, nicknamed ‘the Hot Dog King’ and ‘Jaws’, admitted to the ESPN network that he was affected by the extreme heat wave hitting the city and part of the United States, and stated that it “slowed him down” but he knew he would triumph despite not setting a record.
“I had to stay calm, not force myself or make any big mistakes,” he commented.
The female champion was 40-year-old Miki Sudo, who gobbled down 38 hot dogs and also failed to surpass her milestone of 51 units.
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Gluttony contests are typical in the U.S. and are even considered a “sport,” with their own league called Major League of Eating (MLE) and broadcasts of competitions like this Nathan’s one, which has been held for over a century, on channels like ESPN.
Chestnut, a world leader in the ‘hot dog’ category since 2021 and in other food “disciplines,” participated in the contest while serving a term of supervised release following an assault on a man in an Indiana bar, to which he pleaded guilty.
